Tony Adams had a hastily-arranged audition yesterday for the vacant manager's job at Fratton Park as owner Sacha Gaydamak sat in the stands like a casting director.

But while the former Arsenal skipper did not fluff his lines, there was nothing in this display to suggest he has a secret formula to build on Harry Redknapp's success.

Big loss: Joe Jordan and Tony Adams sit next to the empty seat usually taken by Harry Redknapp.

A late howler saw substitute Clint Dempsey score an equaliser that gave struggling Fulham their first point away from home this season. But the visitors had enough chances to complete 24 hours of bewilderment for Portsmouth fans.

Adams was slightly hamstrung by injuries, which saw Portsmouth take the field without defenders Glen Johnson and Sol Campbell.

The lack of numbers in the squad was part of the reason Redknapp quit, believing that with Gaydamak's resources exhausted he did not have enough players to compete in the League, domestic cups and the UEFA Cup.

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But Portsmouth will, in the short term at least, continue to survive on the legacy of Redknapp's spending earlier this year, which captured England strikers Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe when money was not so tight.

After Redknapp's comments that Portsmouth are in deep debt, the fear is that both players will depart in a January fire sale and that White Hart Lane could now be their next stopping-off point.

Dempsey delivers: The substitute turns in a cross to give Fulham their first away point of the season.

Nobody, however, could deny Crouch and Defoe gave their all. Both forced a series of saves from Mark Schwarzer in an energetic first half which had begun with Jimmy Bullard twice going close for Fulham.

There was almost perfect understanding between the pair on the hour when Defoe spurned the chance to shoot and placed the ball precisely into Crouch's path for his sixth goal of the season.

But Portsmouth then failed to kill off Fulham and paid dearly after Roy Hodgson had shuffled his resources and introduced Dempsey off the bench.

The American's spate of dangerous crosses went to waste, but he then found himself unmarked eight yards out to turn home a pass from Fulham's other substitute, Erik Nevland.

Significantly, Adams chose not to talk publicly, handing the duty to coach Joe Jordan, who conceded he was disappointed that Pompey had not closed the game out.

Fulham boss Hodgson was just delighted his team had broken their away duck.

'I expected a very tough match from an intense Portsmouth side determined to win at home and when they went ahead I had a sense of deja vu,' said Hodgson.

'But luckily we matched them and we got a very good result at a ground where teams always find it difficult.

'Whoever replaces Harry has a difficult act to follow. But I didn't feel Portsmouth were affected by what has gone on. Tony Adams and Joe Jordan did a good job, they got the team going the same way Harry had them playing.'